Conventional absorbent articles of this type usually have a fastening system for fastening the absorbent article around a wearer. The article is provided with so-called side panels which fit tightly around the wearer's body in the area around the wearer's hips, so that the article sits firmly around the wearer's body in a flexible way which provides the wearer with good movement. The side panels can be produced in the same type of material as the remainder of the article, and often form an extension of the backsheet and topsheet material of the article in the article's transverse direction. The disadvantage of this type of traditional side panels is that the side panels often fold when the article is applied to a wearer. Folded side panels give the article a poor fit, which can lead to chafing or skin irritation. To provide a better fit, the side panels can be elasticated. An elastic side panel has the disadvantage that is it expensive compared to the traditional type of side panels, as well as being harder to optimise from a material point of view so that a good fit is obtained. Another disadvantage is that traditional elastic side panels sometimes do not cooperate with other elastic elements in the absorbent article in an effective way. Examples of elastic side panels are given in WO 03/047488 and EP 0 729 332.